Chapter Five

The cool night breeze on the rooftop suddenly felt ice-cold as Liam’s voice cut through the air.

Elena froze, the smile instantly vanishing from her face. That familiar, instinctive knot of anxiety tightened in her stomach—the same defensive reaction she had endured every single day for three long years. It was amazing, really, how a single voice could act like a time machine, trying to drag her straight back into the dark, suffocating corners of Vanguard Manor.

But things were different tonight.

Before the panic could even take root, she felt Ethan and Axel step up right beside her. Their calm, solid presence was like a physical shield anchoring her to the concrete. Tinsley stood just half a step behind them, her cocktail glass resting casually in her hand, though her eyes were sharp enough to cut glass. With her family flanking her, that old, deeply ingrained fear didn't just fade—it completely evaporated, replaced by a strange, quiet sense of curiosity.

She turned around slowly to face her past.

Liam stood at the top of the grand stone steps, breathing heavily as if he had just run a marathon to get up here. His face was flushed a deep, angry red—a volatile mix of expensive champagne and pure, unbridled fury. Chloe was hovering a few steps behind him, trying desperately to keep her footing in her sky-high heels while looking utterly panicked. Yet, even in her panic, Chloe couldn't stop her eyes from scanning the area, her gaze landing squarely on Elena’s stunning designer gown with absolute bitterness.

As Liam stepped onto the main deck, his eyes immediately locked onto the imposing figure of Ethan Vance.

Even in his drunken, jealous rage, Liam was a businessman. He knew exactly who ruled this city. He instantly straightened his expensive suit jacket, masking his anger with a slick, tight smile, trying desperately to sound like an equal to the city's most powerful, untouchable billionaire.

"Mr. Vance," Liam said, his voice projecting across the terrace as he forced a confident, commanding tone.

"I apologize for the interruption, but I didn't realize you kept such... questionable company on your private deck. I'm glad I ran into you, actually. As the CEO of Vanguard Sterling, I feel it's my duty to warn you before you get dragged into a massive scandal."

Ethan didn't answer. He simply raised an eyebrow, looking entirely amused. He looked like an apex predator watching a mouse walk willingly, confidently, right into a trap. He actually chuckled, a soft, dry sound that seemed to infuriate Liam beneath his polite facade.

Seeing that Ethan wasn't cutting him off, Liam felt a surge of arrogant confidence. He finally turned his gaze squarely onto Elena, his eyes scanning her from head to toe, burning with a toxic, possessive jealousy.

"I knew it," Liam sneered, his polite tone completely vanishing as he looked at his ex-wife.

"Three years of playing the innocent, pathetic housewife, and the very day we sign the papers, you’re up here flaunting yourself? Who bought you that dress, Elena? Did you crawl into Ethan Vance’s bed before the ink on our divorce papers was even dry?"

The sheer audacity of the accusation hung heavily in the warm midnight air.

Axel instantly stepped forward, the muscles in his jaw shifting as his hands balled into tight, dangerous fists. The sheer size of him was enough to make most grown men take a step back.

"Watch your mouth, Sterling," he growled, his voice a low, threatening rumble.

But Ethan calmly placed a hand on Axel’s shoulder, holding his brother back with effortless, quiet authority.

Liam ignored Axel, looking back at Ethan, assuming the billionaire was on his side. Besides, He thought Axel was Ethan body guard. He did not recognize the well known Lawyer in the City.

"Don't protect her, Mr. Vance. You're being played by a professional. This woman is a penniless nobody who clung to me for three long years just to leech off my money and my status. She probably targeted you the exact moment she realized I was finally throwing her out of my house."

Chloe, seeing Liam take the lead, chimed in from right behind his shoulder. Her voice was high-pitched, dripping with a venomous combination of jealousy and spite.

"Exactly! She didn't even take a single dime from the divorce settlement, Mr. Vance! We offered her a path out, and she signed the papers instantly without asking for a thing. Why? Because she already had her sights set on a bigger fish. It's honestly disgusting how fast she moved from Liam's bed to your terrace!"

Elena stood perfectly still, listening to them spin their frantic, ugly little web. She looked at Liam—really, truly looked at him—and a profound realization washed over her. For three agonizing years, she had hung onto every single word this man said. She had stayed up until the early hours of the morning, crying into her pillow, begging the universe for just a shred of his attention.

Now, standing under the glittering stars on the grandest rooftop in the city, she wondered how she had ever let someone so incredibly small, petty, and blind control her life. He wasn't a king. Vanguard Manor wasn't a palace. It was just a gilded cage run by a man terrified of anything he couldn't dominate.

"Liam," Elena said. Her voice wasn't shaking. It wasn't loud, either, but it carried a remarkable, crystal-clear calm that seemed to cut straight through his loud shouting.

"You always thought Vanguard Manor was the center of the universe. You thought your money made you a god, and you thought your status gave you the right to look down on everyone else. But the tragic truth is, Liam... you never actually knew a single, solitary thing about me."

"Oh, I know exactly what you are," Liam hissed, his temper flaring blindly. He was visibly taken aback by her sudden confidence—this wasn't the timid girl who shrunk away whenever he raised his voice. Driven by pure, wounded pride, he took an angry, aggressive step closer to her.

But he didn't get very far.

Before his foot could even hit the next stone tile, two massive, suited Vance security guards instantly stepped out of the shadows. They materialized so fast it was almost unnatural, blocking his path like a solid, immovable brick wall. Liam stumbled back a step, shocked by their sudden intervention, his face contorting as he tried to look past their broad shoulders at Ethan.

"What is the meaning of this?" Liam demanded, his pride stinging sharply as he realized he was being physically barred. He pointed an angry finger around the guard's torso.

"Are you seriously defending a low-class liar, Mr Ethan? Is this the standard of Vance Global now?"

Ethan finally spoke. He took a slow, deliberate sip from his glass, then checked his luxury watch with a cool, knowing smile that didn't reach his eyes. When he looked up, his gaze was dripping with absolute, freezing disdain.

"It’s truly fascinating," Ethan said, his voice smooth, elegant, and perfectly conversational, yet carrying the weight of an absolute monarch. "A man can run a supposedly successful corporation, manage hundreds of people, and still be completely, utterly blind. Liam, you keep calling her a nobody. You keep standing there wondering how she got into my Bentley, how she's standing on my private rooftop, and why a multi-million dollar public firework show bears her name."

Ethan took a slow step forward, completely shielding Elena with his imposing frame, cutting off Liam’s view of her entirely.

"Let me introduce you properly," Ethan said coldly.